Disclaimer-
Once upon a time, in 1992,
Disney made a movie that was disliked by few,
They own all of the Newsies, much to my dismay,
But one day I will kidnap them and seize the day!
L/N- I'm in a strangely poetic mood… that was my weak attempt at poetry. Don't laugh. Anyway…I was sitting in LA, when all of a sudden Mush!Muse shows up! Now, I was beyond surprise, since my muses can't STAND my school. (It's too cold for them) Because of this, I figured that he came for something important, so I got a pass out of class and went to go talk to him. He was very excited about something, and after he told me about this fic idea, so was I. I spent the rest of the day writing down the first chapter. Enjoy!
Il Salto di Honor
"Come on!" Kid Blink called over his shoulder as he ran through the darkness of the back alleys.
The sound of heavy asthmatic breathing was audible behind him. "Blink," The smaller boy gasped "I'se can't go much further. Can we please stop?"
Blink laughed as he stopped and waited for the young new newsie to catch up. "Dat's da foist t'ing you'se gotta loin about bein' a newsie. Ya can't stop foah nothing."
The young boy looked confused. "I'se thought the foist t'ing I'se needed ta loin was dat headlines don't sell papes, newsies sell papes."
Again, Kid Blink laughed at his ignorance. "What if da bulls was chasing us? Would you'se just stop cause you'se was tired?"
"Uh, I'se guess not…"
"Damn straight you'se wouldn't. Wha's youah name again, kid?"
"Andrew."
"Not anymoah you'se not. You'se wan' ta be one a us, you'se gotta have a newsie name." Blink paused to think. "How about Question? You'se ask a shitload a questions, kid."
"I do?" Andrew, or Question, asked.
"See? Dat's a question right dere." He slapped the small boy on the back. "Question it is! Now, ya ready to staht runnin' again?"
"Where are we's goin' Blink?" Questions asked as the two began to jog.
"You'll see. It's a tradition foah all new newsies. Hope youah willin' ta get wet…"
Question was confused, but was now trying to limit the number of questions he asked, so he kept quiet. The two ran in silence for a few minutes, with the exception of Question's loud breathing. Before long, the Brooklyn Bridge was visible in the dark night.
Question may have been young, but he wasn't stupid. A feeling of dread was growing inside of him. "I ain't gonna have ta jump off da bridge… am I?"
"Coise not. What do ya think we's are? Moiderers?" Blink shook his head and Question sighed with relief. "On da uddah side of da bridge, dere's a small tower, real old, it's not used foah anything no moah. You'se just have ta jump off a dat."
Question nodded. This didn't sound too bad, as long as it wasn't too high. His hopes crashed though, as the made their way across the bridge and stopped in front of a gate with a sign that read 'No Trespassing!' Directly behind the flimsy looking gate loomed the 'small' tower. Question gulped, looking up at it. It must have been thirty feet high!
"Blink, I'se can't do it! I'se scared of heights!" Question protested as Blink proceeded to remove the rusty lock.
"We's all had ta do it, Question." Kid Blink ushered a terrified Question to the bottom of the rusty ladder leading to the top. "If you'se don't go t'rough wit it den you'se can't be on of us."
Question looked as though he'd rather be dragged by the hair to the refuge, but he was determined not to look weak in front of the older boy. "Okay. I'se'll do it." He said in a voice which was hardly more than a whisper.
"Atta boy!" Kid Blink clapped Question on the back "Go foah it!"
Question squeezed his eyes shut and reached blindly for the ladder. He climbed a few rungs before he realized that it was worse not seeing where he was going. He opened his eyes and kept climbing. Don't look down. Don't look down… he repeated over and over in his mind, but of course he couldn't help but look down. The ground seemed miles away already and he was barely half way. He had never been so scared in his life.
"You'se're doin' fine!" keep goin'!" Blink shouted from the ground. A few tears of fright began to roll down Question's face, but he kept moving, telling himself that soon it would all be over and he would be safe in the lodging house- his new home. That thought cheered him slightly and he quickened his pace, making it to the top in almost half the time it took him to get halfway.
But now that he was on the platform looking down on the stars reflecting in the dark murky water so far below, the fear returned. Only now it was a thousand times worse. The tears were now flowing freely down his face, but Question pushed them away hastily, thankful that Blink was on the ground and couldn't see him crying.
"Hurry it up!" Kid Blink called. "I'se don't got all night!"
Question took a deep breath and closed his eyes before taking a blind leap off the platform. He seemed to be suspended in the air for ages before finally hitting the water and sinking directly to the bottom.
~~~
Watching the kid's silhouette up on the platform brought back a flood of memories to Blink. He could remember perfectly the night that he had to jump.
He had just arrived in Manhattan from Queens, not knowing anyone. When he found the newsies he has felt instantly accepted, yet still not really one of them, until he had to jump.
'Il Salto di Honor' they called it, Italian for 'The Jump of Honor'. It had been a newsie tradition since the start of the Manhattan newsies. Honestly, he never really understood it, but there was no way he'd ever tell any of the others that. He guessed it was supposed to symbolize loyalty or something like that.
He had stood up there for almost twice as long as Question did tonight. Bluff, the older newsie who had taken him, had flipped a shit about how long it had taken him. But as soon as he had climbed out of the water, Bluff's attitude towards him had done a complete 180. He began to treat Blink as a fellow newsie instead of just a stupid kid. It was as if the jump broke a sort of spell and made them equal. It didn't make sense, and yet, the tradition had lasted for more than two decades.
Blink was drawn out of his thoughts when he heard a drawn out scream. Looking up, he saw that Question had done it. He had gotten over his fear and jumped. Although he had met the kid only a few days before, he felt a sense of unmistakable pride. Grinning broadly, he ran over to help Question out of the water.
But the kid never surfaced. He waited a minute, a bad feeling growing inside him.
"Shit!" He muttered. "Question?" he called nervously. "This bettah not be a joke, kid, or I sweah ta God…" Blink pulled off his shirt and dove into the murky water.
The water was dirty and hard to see through to begin with, but in the pitch black of the night, it was all but impossible. He swam around blindly, searching for the small boy. Finally, he felt his hand close on something that felt like human flesh.
He broke the surface of the water and was extremely relieved to find that he had found Question. The bad part was that he looked like he was dead.
Quickly, he eased Question up onto the ground. "Come on kid, wake up." He whispered, slapping Question's face lightly. The young newsie coughed and spit out water. "You'se alive!" Blink cried, fighting the urge to bend down and hug Question in relief.
Question's eyes flickered open and he went to sit up, but fell back and a look of immense pain crossed his face. "Me leg…" he said hoarsely.
Blink glanced down at the lower part of his body, and wondered in horror how he could have missed noticing this. Question's leg was completely severed off right below the knee, leaving only a bloody stump.
"Me leg…" Question repeated. "Blink, look at me leg!" he cried in pain, and then proceeded to faint.
Kid Blink felt sick. This wasn't supposed to happen; it was supposed to be a harmless jump. He must have hit something sharp in the water… No shit, genius he scolded himself. He had to get Question back to the lodging house quick. The other boys would know what to do…
"Hey! Who's back there?" A deep voice yelled.
Shit, da bulls… He could get out by himself, but Question would be too much of a burden. It killed his conscience to do it, but unless he wanted to end up in the refuge he had to leave him behind. He was hurt; they'd go easier on him. His mind made up, he turned and jumped over the fence.
~~~
Mean Blink… Poor Question… Got this idea while I was watching A Walk to Remember, which is why it's so similar so far. But don't worry, it going a completely different direction than AWTR.
REEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE!!!!
BTW- I own Question… this should have been in my disclaimer, but I'm too lazy to go change it.
~Lexa~